Streetlight Cadence Plays For Abbot Kinney

I was kind of in a rush last weekend, just needing to grab something quick at the liquor store on Abbot Kinney on my way home, and wistful for the days when this could be done much speedier. Crossing the street, I heard a guy shout, "We're Streetlight Cadence, from Honolulu, Hawai'i!" There, set up on the corner, was a quartet of gentlemen playing their hearts out for all the foot traffic folks out strolling the boulevard.

Their music and their vibe was delightfully retro, and I was surprised to hear that they were from Hawai'i. The more I thought about it though, I wasn't. Here were these young guys all playing their instruments (guitar, cello, violin, accordion), belting it out for all to hear, in a wonderful example of the Aloha Spirit that Hawai'i is famous for (and which I was recently reminded of by Mona to LIVE as an example). I stopped and thoroughly enjoyed a number before I had to speed off, with a little crowd gathering of others whose afternoons had also been made. I love the DIY spirit of creative people like this, and it's something everyone can use way more of. Just get out there and DO whatever it is that you love!

Thank you to Streetlight Cadence for bringing their music to the people, and for showing Venice their Aloha! Cheers, boys!

Tom Freund's Same Old Shit, Different Day - A Venice Video

In the latest collaboration between my brother Paul and I, we made a video for Tom Freund's "Same Old Shit, Different Day," from his recent Two Moons album.

It is a love letter, to and from Venice.  The Venice Freak Show (and just Venice in general) teaches us that nothing is normal, and that we should come together through celebrating our differences. Tom sums that up in song right here. This is what it feels like to be in Venice ... where we NEVER want to say, "Same old shit, different day."

Enjoy!

*Thanks to all the skaters, bike riders, dancers, clowns, piano players, freaks, seagulls, artists, performers, sailboats, drummers, sunsets, friends and neighbors who go nuts with us every single day.

Jane's Addiction - Las Vegas - Nothing Shocking!

Jane's Addiction just made their iconic song "3 Days" a reality, as they played their entire Nothing Shocking album+ three nights in a row at the Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas. The band was there to celebrate that all-time classic record's 25th Anniversary (time fllllllies!), and the fans were out-of-their-minds about it before a note was even played.

I headed out to the desert for the final Saturday night show, and after hearing all the superlatives about the previous two shows, I know it was going to be ON. A whole crew made the trip out from Venice, so there was a bit of a hometown show feel to it, even in the middle of Sin City. The Brooklyn Bowl is massive, and it was jam packed to sold-out capacity, with the die-hard fans squeezed up against the stage ten deep a couple hours before they started. Then 20 deep, then 50 deep ... then so deep I thanked my lucky stars that I had my spot in the balcony to not move from until the last bow. As tribal sounding music amped up the room leading up to Jane's taking the stage, the atmosphere and anticipation was sheer electric. (Neon, to be precise. This was Vegas.)

The stage resembled a Day of the Dead altar, with Christmas lights hanging and flowers in vases all around. When the lights went dark and Stephen Perkins came out and sat at his drum kit, the crowd went crazy. When the opening chords to "Up The Beach" rang out ... well, I completely have chills right now writing about it. It was nuclear powerful in there. Dave Navarro came out and began that familiar opening number with his signature cool prowess, Chris Chaney ruled that bass line, and Perry Farrell sauntered out wailing those haunting vocal notes that set Nothing Shocking apart from anything else out there back in the day, without barely an intelligible word sung. He held a bottle up upon entering, high-fiving everyone down front, signifying that the party would now begin, and we were invited to join in the fun.

FUN! Like blasting out "Ocean Size" and "Had A Dad" back to back, the whole band going as OFF as the fans were. I could tell Perry was in rare form, feeling it back from the fans that love him (and knew every word), and returning it ten-fold. The dancing never let up, the voice and the music were as rad as the day we first heard them (maybe even better, as they've now played the tunes so many times, and they don't live as rough as they did back then, so ... YESSSS!).

"My beautiful friends! I'm so happy to see you again, because you never know when it's time to go ... but now ain't the time!" A fan gave Perry a hat and a joint, and Perry responded with the first of a bunch of awesome and hilarious stage banters about generous people being better than fucked up assholes ... "I want to be friends with generous people ... sometimes you gotta slow down and take a look around ... The cool thing about marijuana is it's communal, everybody shares ... No one wants to share their junkie spoon ... Marijuana is beautiful incense ... !" With that (plus a puff) from Perry, the band tore into "Ted, Just Admit It" like maybe never before. "SEX IS VIOLENCE!!!" It was boiling, incendiary hot. Perkins was going off, a total machine. Navarro's solos are intoxicating, and Chaney almost makes you forget he didn't write those Avery bass lines, and he's made them his own. Perry is ... well, Perry. One of rock's greatest ever front men. Period. No, the WORLD'S great front men, not just in rock, in humanity. A seriously cool cat, and a great friend.

Well, after that one that gave the record its name, everyone was all riled up, perhaps Perry most of all. "I can't wait to fuck again, I'm raring to go!" All bets - and shirts - were off by now, and it was a complete rock frenzy. We all needed a cold shower about then, but "Standing In The Shower, Thinking" would suffice. More than suffice. Rule.

A wind had blown in right before the show, nearly blowing us all over on our way to the venue. Flights were cancelled by 70 mph winds, which brought back some friends who had tried to leave, but instead got another show. Perry had a discussion with this crazy wind, who told him "If you rock my ass out, I'm gonna give you Summertime." So Jane's gave US "Summertime Rolls". This is a top candidate for my favorite song of all time, so I was thrilled to again see it being played (as it rarely is) live. I wasn't remotely alone, as the entire place sang along word for word, and it was clear that this is one of those classic songs that really MEAN something to people. It hearkens you back to the greatness of when and where you were hearing it for the first time. So special, so beloved ...

Equally loved and massively ROCKED was "Mountain Song". This is Jane's at their absolute best. My notes simply said, "Going OFF!" It was monstrous. I'm sure you can imagine. Voices were lost during this one, I actually heard a friend speak before and after, and this was where it went. Well worth it, he'd agree.

Fishbone was also in the house for these shows, and Angelo Moore came out to jam horns for Jane's on "Idiots Rule" ("That should be America's theme song" - Stephanie Hobgood). Jane's and Fishbone go way back, as Moore put it, "We're like Ebony and Ivory, Punk Rock stylie!" They, indeed and agreed, have gotten better with age, no question.

Perry talked about our generation, changing things for the better, things like making history voting in Obama ... to which a guy next to me said, "Ooh, there's a lot of Republicans here in Nevada" ... to which I said and meant, "Who cares?" No matter what, as Perry said, "We're all here together, having a good time!" ... and that's the point of it all. Music bringing people together to rock out, have fun, and UNITE. If people are moved by and love the same music, they have something common inside that can bridge gaps, show that you share something good, and go forward from there. We're all in it together, and not just at amazing shows, in life. So have a good time together. Not so hard after all, is it?

As they played through the album chronologically, you realized just how much EVERY track on Nothing Shocking is not just good, but GREAT. And holds up to be way better than most anything just coming out now, for real. No matter how many times you've heard "Jane Says", it's always awesome. This night's playing might have been the MOST awesome, with the steel drum version killing us of course, but also that we knew it was its 25th birthday ... so we sang along, in lieu of the Birthday Song. "She takes a swing, but SHE CAN'T HIT!" ... was the loudest I've ever heard it sung by a crowd. Again, a truly beloved tune for so, so many.

Reflecting on the years that have passed, Perry said, "My Dad was a tough motherfucker. I learned to be a Man by a tough motherfucker. That's what I teach my boys, Be tough, but be kind. That's the way we're gonna do it, yeah?" The crowd roared back, "YEAH!" in agreement, as that speech was backed by the jazzy music of "Thank You, Boys", which Perry shouted at its end.

"Pigs In Zen" fried all of our minds (at least I think it was because of that song), super heavy and certainly played by tough (and KIND!) motherfuckers/men. The cheers were deafening when that one ended (as it finishes the album) with Perry saying, "I need some more booze, I'll be back!"

Same for us, and when we all returned, it was for the rocker "Been Caught Stealing". This one featured Mrs. Farrell (Etty!) and Melissa Vela Bailey dressed for Vegas in big showgirl headdresses, and little else, making it even hotter in there. The dancers threw casino chips out to the crowd (as the band melted faces), endearing themselves even more.

Then the real "3 Days" arrived ... a scorcher. Dark and ominous, sexy and dangerous all at once ... the fans were beside themselves. At the end of the whole menage-a-troisvaganza, Perry and Etty made out so long and for real that Etty looked a little breathless as she left the stage. I love it. REAL love between a husband and wife, for all to see, enjoy and envy. This spectacle of a show was truly inspiring on so many levels.

"Stop!" = "NUTS!!!" in my notebook. So fast, so frenzied, so opposite the title ... you just want to GO. We were all sweaty messes at this point, but all stops were pulled out by band and audience alike as they lit into "Chip Away". Navarro, Chaney and Perkins were all lined up front of stage banging on big drums in unison, as Perry screamed his way through this other-worldly superjam. Suspension artist girls (skewered through their shoulder blade skin!) swung high above the stage, and there was so much coolness going on that you didn't know where to look.

And then it was over, but no one wanted it to be, not even the band. They took a group bow together, earning ear-splitting shouts, claps and whistles, but still, no one was going anywhere. 

Long after everyone else had left the stage, Perry and Etty stayed behind, shaking hands and handing out all the flowers from their vases. They know their fans love them, and they love them back.

Backstage after the show, this remained as true. Friends and fans came back to greet and thank them, and as effusive as they were, the Farrells and company were equally as thrilled ... at what had truly been an EPIC 3 Days.

Thank you to Jane's Addiction for 25 years of rocking us, and by doing so, uniting us.

NEVER Stop!

(*And special heartfelt thanks to the Farrells for again welcoming me to the show!      Love you.)

Paul Chesne - Downright Up & Left

If you've ever gone out in Los Angeles, chances are you've seen Paul Chesne play. One of the - if not THE - hardest working musicians in L.A., Chesne has been listed in the L.A. Weekly or L.A. Times Calendar section, usually multiple times, every week for the past 15 years. That's playing out an average of three times a week, on top of a full-time (mercifully flexible) day job, handling everything himself. Because he's a musician that simply loves to play.

That is clear to see at each and every gig (and I've been to many of his roughly 1,400 gigs over the years), as both Chesne and his audiences are all there to live the rock and roll. It's just plain fun, every single time. After all these years of dear friendship and fond rock memories, Chesne and I finally sat down to chat about it all over some rare Green Spot Irish Whiskey at The Townhouse the other night. As we do.

Born and raised in L.A., Chesne picked up the guitar at the age of 12, after seeing Marty McFly jam to Chuck Berry in Back To The Future. He took some lessons, learned and dedicated his life to it. That continued through his time at UCLA, when in addition to all his reading and learning, he began playing open mic nights around town, often at Canter's Kibbitz Room (where he could be found up-ending an open mic night as recently as a week ago). The schooling is evident in just regular conversation with Chesne, but also always shows up in his razor-sharp song lyrics, deftly wrapped up in some of the catchiest Americana twang rock jams ever.

The brand new (today!) Paul Chesne album, Downright Up & Left is a perfect showcase of all those years of gigs and learning ... it's drum tight and thought provoking, all while rocking your face off. CD Baby describes it as "Beautiful, dark and groovy." That's certainly true, but doesn't begin to capture what it's like to be at every live Chesne show. It's a full on rock experience. Chesne and his band are going all out on stage (and into the audience ... up on top of the bar ... sometimes out the door on to the sidewalk ... pretty much anything goes. You will leave sweaty. You will leave smiling. You will leave happy to have been there - no matter how many times you've seen them.

Chesne and his always excellent backing band benefit from playing so many gigs ... they all just full-throttle it, and expertly follow the many "Chesne-isms" - musical tangents that both keep the band on their toes and make every show one of a kind. It's like the Beatles theory in Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers ... when you play out live that much, you're going to be awesome. This is quite an accomplishment over the years, with bandmate turnover, burnout, personalities, frustration, triumph, exhaustion, bliss, thousands of van miles, and gigs from makeshift to epic. As Chesne says, "There's been Hey Days and Dark Days, sometimes in the same month." Such is the life of a true rock and roller.

With the release of his latest album - all bought and paid for himself, through good old fashioned hard work, not some crowd-funded project as is so common these days. As Chesne says, "I put my money where my mouth is." This album is more "artsy", according to Chesne. "I'm divorcing myself from any commercial intent, and really committing myself to being an artist, and to my belief in the SONGS. I've never sold out. I've TRIED (ha!), but I never have. I don't owe anybody anything, and I'm proud of that." He should be.

He's the kind of guy who if he's not booked at a big festival like Coachella (yet), he'll make his own festival at Pappy & Harriet's out in Joshua Tree (where he enjoys an almost house-band notoriety). If a party isn't fun, he'll make it fun. If there's no music on the beach that day, he'll go get his guitar, plug in and make some right there on the Boardwalk until the cops come to shut him down (Boo!). He's one of those guys that if you have a visitor come to town, you immediately check to see when Chesne is playing, so you can show them a guaranteed good time.

Chesne has lived in Venice for ages, and we talked about how it's been changing. We pined for the days of our magical old music nights at Abbot's Habit, where every Friday night was an all-out blast. We lamented the loss of the Stronghold music nights. We yearned for the times when someone we knew booked stages for the Abbot Kinney Festival and there were actually bands from Venice (like Chesne's) playing (Cough. Hint.). We dig the still-cool O'Brien's and the Basement Tavern that have hosted so many of our rock nights (Though in Santa Monica. Venice needs more music!). We agreed how much we love walking everywhere, and how at least we still have our gang of like-minded friends living, working and loving it here ... "We're lucky we have each other." So SO true.

I love so many Paul Chesne songs (he knows that my all-time favorite thus far is "You Owe Me" and will graciously play it for me whenever I'm there begging for it) and asked about his mind-set for the songs on the new album. "I empathize with it all ... it's gloomy and sad ... and beautiful - like life lately. There's a lot of heartache ... but I put a lot of heart in that ache." And Bam - a new Chesne song lyric came to life right there at the table in front of me. (Write it down, Paul!) Downright Up & Left is available right now at CD Baby and Paulchesne.com, and is up on Spotify as of right now. And you want it.

The current incarnation of Chesne's band consists of Jon Niemann, Josh Norton, Rich Berardi, Jason Chesney, and Steve Tegel remains as their "Svengali".  You can catch them all at their dress-up gig at The Edison in downtown L.A. on March 12th. Or at the hundreds of gigs that are sure to come after that - weekly.

As we wound down our night and our drinks, Chesne said, "It's renegade insanity - that's what Venice is all about." At least it is if we have anything to do with it. This photo is from one of our times at Pappy's that I think does a great job of showing what a Chesne show experience is all about ... no more words necessary ...

 

Catch Paul Chesne out, and/or pick up his excellent new Downright Up & Left today to join in on the renegade insanity whenever you like, from wherever you are.

*Most photos ripped off with permission from Paulchesne.com

Venice's Symphony Orchestra - From Beck To Bach

When I first heard there was going to be a Venice Symphony Orchestra, I thought it was just about the best idea ever. Then I heard them, and that is now confirmed. Led by founder/director/conductor/musician, Wesley Flowers, I heard the VSO play for the first time at the September Venice Art Crawl, and as their tag-line goes, they did indeed play everything "From Beck to Bach." Beautifully.

Flowers grew up in Georgia, playing the bass and piano - a little.  As life goes, opportunities spring up and you either grab them or you don't, and when Flowers was offered a gig playing on tour with Butch Walker, he grabbed it. Flowers played with Walker for five years, and that gig is what first brought him out to Los Angeles. He found that he didn't like L.A. at all, but when he came down to the beach in Venice - near the studio they were working out of - he said the clouds parted and he knew these were his people. I've heard that same story so many times - and told it - where people arrive in Venice and just either get it or they don't. The ones who get it stay ... and then do their best to not only preserve what they loved about it upon arrival, but to add to it in creative and positive ways. That's just what Flowers set out to do, right from the beginning.

After attending a performance of the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra, Flowers was blown away - and then even more so to find that Venice did not have an Orchestra of its own. What?! A creative hub of the entire world did not have an Orchestra?! Something had to be done. Flowers approached some friends with his idea, and Venice architect/developer Jason Teague thought it was a fantastic idea, and said that Flowers was exactly the kind of person we want living in Venice. Exactly right. Teague helped to get a non-profit set up, and Flowers was off to the races, recruiting musicians through Craig's List, Yo Venice and The Free Venice Beachhead. The VSO had their first performance in the fall of 2012 at The Electric Lodge, where they were also allowed to hold rehearsals. Flowers said, "This is the only town this could happen in." Everyone is a volunteer at this point, everything has been donated, and all are in it for the love of music.

The music. With so many talented musicians in town, there has been a kind of revolving door of VSO members thus far, as everyone has busy schedules and also need to make a living, so sometimes well-paying gigs need to take precedence while the VSO gets up, running, and more self-sufficient. Watching them perform at last month's Art Crawl, one would have no idea that there was so little time for the group to rehearse as a whole. The program (Mozart AND "Good Vibrations"!) was flawless and had the entire audience jam-packed (with a line down the block to get in!) into Teague's shipping container compound applauding and elated that we now DO have a symphony orchestra of our own!

Their hopes are to keep growing, to offer free music lessons to at-risk local youth, have free performances for the neighborhood, tour with the VSO, have a permanent home (how about a concert hall in the Windward Circle?!) to play in, have a staff, score films, stage a performance at the end of the Venice Pier ... the great ideas are really endless. To make them a reality will require help and support from our whole community. You can donate through their website. You can sign up for "LivnGiv" where participating restaurants donate 20% of your tab to the VSO, at no extra cost to you. You can book them for a private function (what a great work holiday party idea!). And as the membership is now only about 1/4 as big as Flowers would like, you can dust off your own instrument and join in on the music-making!

"We put the Venice in symphony orchestra," Flowers said, and added that the people and the music selections are "funky enough to be the VENICE Symphony Orchestra." It's great to see a younger generation not only getting involved with orchestral music, but creating it for the whole community to enjoy. "I think we can revolutionize the movement and redefine what an orchestra can be. We can re-invent the classics, while still honoring them, and incorporating things like electronic music, because it all ties together."  A pretty apt mission statement for an orchestra for Venice, California if you ask me. I think Abbot Kinney would not only be proud of these guys, but would probably see a little bit of his dreamer self in them ... and the part that then goes out and makes it happen.

Celebrate the music of Venice! The Venice Symphony Orchestra will be playing monthly at First Fridays at Trim Salon on Abbot Kinney, at the next Art Crawl on December 19th, and wherever our town books them to share the gift of their music.

Please support our VSO. Contact them at Veniceorchestra@gmail.com. Like them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/veniceorchestra) Sign up for LivnGiv (https://www.livngiv.com/los-angeles )and select VSO as your cause. Thank you, and Enjoy the music!!!

The 2013 Abbot Kinney Street Festival!

It was perhaps the most perfect day for our Abbot Kinney Street Festival that has ever happened. Simply gorgeous ... bright blue skies, warm sunshine and a breeze right when you needed it all combined to welcome the masses to Venice for our annual jamboree. It was a complete blast. As usual.

I spent a good chunk of the day at the Free Venice Beachhead booth, meeting neighbors and discussing the things that concern, bug, elate, and mean something to our community. The big talk was about the proposed hotel on Abbot Kinney - that absolutely no one seems to want. Including me. I kind of got a kick out of the fact that as I use my initials in the paper, some readers have assumed I'm a guy. I'm a lady, and it was nice to meet so many kind readers. I always say the AK Fest is like Venice Thanksgiving, in that you see so many faces that you haven't seen since the previous year's throw-down. I love it.

The Jesus people had a strong presence this year, walking up and down the Boulevard with big signs and loudspeakers telling us all what sinners we are. True enough, but obnoxious, and probably not that effective as everyone seemed to be simply ignoring them.

I love the moment when you hear drums approaching in the distance, and soon enough the samba school line dances past and invigorates everyone clapping alongside them. It's a great tradition, and full of the fun spirit of the day.

Beyond Baroque had a stage where folks could get up and read one of their poems, even if nobody was listening. It's so great that we have an organization devoted to poetry, and that we have so many talented people willing to share their most personal work, as the microphone was never unattended every time I walked by.

There was a lot of head-wear for sale at booths this year, flower crowns, hats and the like. Jewelry was another big presence this year, and art, t-shirts and stuff for the kids were the other big draws. Long lines for food, and the rumor that it cost $25 just to get a wristband to get into The Brig's beer garden, that did not include any beers. Um ... Yeah, no thanks. I can find my own, and better party.

Which we did at Aust, the new Australian clothing store tucked in behind the beautiful Fiore flower shop. As once again this year it seemed that the downtown p.r. people that have been hired to handle the AK Fest forgot that Venice people like to listen to Venice bands at our own Festival. This did not appear to be be possible on any of the official stages, (except for the awesome Superbroke Orchestra that I heard I missed, dangit!) so Aust had a bunch of locals play right there at the store. 

Aussies and North Americans alike crammed in to hear Aussie Matt Ellis play all new songs solo acoustic.

Lacey Cowden played her stellar songs of love and redemption to a rapt audience.

J.R. Reyne rocked the place, as did Clayton Joseph Scott, while the party out back behind the store grew and grew as more neighbors heard about friends playing at the Festival.

After a bit, it seemed like it was all that was going on in town, even as the jam-packed street continued to flow with people out front until after the sun set.

The Police did their end of Festival sweep, and the tent poles soon began clanking down. It's pretty impressive how quickly it all just disappears, including the people that split off to after-parties or to catch the Breaking Bad finale.

Another beautiful day in Venice, on the books, with pictures, laughs and memories enough to last us until next year. Cheers to all who helped put on another wonderful Street Festival!

*Photo of me by Emma Leslie

Venice Has Got Talent!

Venice's own William Close (our friend Billy) is in the FINALS - TONIGHT -  for America's Got Talent with his gigantic Earth Harp act, and you really should tune in and check it out -




Billy is a really interesting guy, and his Museum Of Music and Instruments (MOMAI) in Venice is super interesting, and has been host to a great many musical throw-downs. Billy thinks up an instrument and then just makes it happen. I remember the Earth Harp being strung up down at the beach for Venice's Centennial celebration, and it really was awesome, outside overlooking the ocean and sending the harp song up into the breeze. Special.

 Our dear friend Scotty P. is going to be there with Billy tonight, banging drums, and I really think they're going to win! But they need everyone to vote, so if you could do that too, that would be so nice. I could normally care less about reality t.v. - or most t.v. period, but these guys will win a million dollars and get their own show for a year in Las Vegas ... and we really want to visit Scotty P. and hang out by his Vegas pool, so please VOTE TONIGHT.

NBC. Check your local listings and tune in to witness our Venice homies take the prize!






UPDATE:  William and the Earth Harp took third. They lost to a comedian and a dog act. Extra lame.

Happy Valentine's Day from Venice

Ahhh, remember this ol' GEM?




Happy Valentine's Day, indeed! Let's try to remember to love the best we can every day. It really is what the world needs now. Everysingleone does.

Bless your hearts.

Soccermom: The Movie

There was a whole lot going on this past weekend, and I surely meant to do it all ... but didn't. It was one of those gloomy, mist all day scenarios, which actually made it perfect to tuck inside and catch some film. As The Other Venice Film Festival venue of Beyond Baroque is my spitting distance neighbor, it made it pretty easy to catch the 2010 OVFF WINNER for Best Documentary, Soccermom: The Movie.


If you've lived in Venice for any time at all, you should know the band Soccermom. They've been a staple at music clubs around town forever, and its members, Helen, Matty, Cecil and John, have probably all been squeezed in next to you at a party at some point.

I loved Soccermom with all their humor and punk glory (and I say lovED because I have no idea what's going on with them right now, and haven't seen them play in quite some time? Or seen Helen around, for that matter ...). This film about them - though cut a little sloppy in places, and in need of some sound tweaking - captures all of it, and really, only makes you want to see more of them.

The talking head interview bits spotlight all sorts of Venice characters: Jeff Ho, Valerie of Slave fame, Nik from Trim, and all sorts of friends of the band, that clearly love them. These are the funniest parts, as the surfer dude qualities that crack you up, and the sheer irreverence, make you instantly recognize YOUR people, and laugh along with them.

Helen says at one point, "I met Matty and he said, 'Can you sing?' and I said 'No', and he said, 'Perfect.' .... He taught me how to be retarded." Then it cuts to them all going absolutely mental patient on stage.


They are punk rock, in sound, look, and attitude. Helen and Matty have gotten into fistfights on stage. They played their first show for some Realtor meeting, and opened with a song about what assholes Realtors are. They have hot girl groupies, and a song called "Mangroupie" about just that, the guys that show up to love Brazilian born, and adorable, Helen, of whom one guy fan says, "She's like a Joseph Conrad character, the Heart Of Darkness."


Their punk tunes are informed by surf and skating (and vice versa), and skate legend Jeff Ho is a treat to hear spin tales of Soccermom, and how "In Venice, something is always gonna happen ... stabbings, beer bottles thrown ..." and another guy talks about how "Soccermom usually plays somewhere where your car WILL get broken into ...". Classic, and we love it all.


It's a bit of a time capsule about the early millenium in Venice, CA, and makes you feel a little nostalgic for the balls out way they - and we - would party here. (Ok, and sometimes still do). I think Helen puts it best when she says, "Aside from the blood and the tears, it's all happiness."

A bit like life here itself.

Check out Soccermom, both the band and the movie, whenever and if you get the chance. It's a rowdy-good time, every time.



*Photos ripped off from Soccermom's Myspace page.

Venicestock 2010

I stopped by Venicestock 2010 yesterday afternoon to catch my friend's band, Jason Heath & The Greedy Souls, playing in an afternoon slot. While it's got a long way to go before the Venice version of a "Stock" can live up to its namesake (at least attendance-wise), it was a sunny (briefly!) way to spend the afternoon, listening to some great live music accompanied by the bass notes of pounding waves.


There's something so nice about hearing music in an outdoor setting, and even nicer when it's smack dab in the middle of Venice Beach, and all that goes on here all the time. The Pacific Ocean was in front of the stage, and the Boardwalk was backstage, so there was plenty to keep all your senses occupied.


My favorite part of the JHATGS set - aside from their thought-full/provoking folky rock jams - was that it had people dancing from start to finish. And I don't mean nodding along, I mean full body jerks and shimmies! This was my favorite guy. Probably everyone's favorite, for his completely non-caring, non-posing purely joyful expression - the entire time.


My least favorite guy was this one ... who plopped himself down in the dead middle of the crowd, turned his chair away from the band, and put in his headphones. I was tempted to ask what he was listening to, but then - like him - found that I didn't really care.


One (probably chemically altered) guy with flowing moves and a completely into it, oblivious demeanor, was dancing so freely down front that organizers seemed to be trying to get him to sit down so as not to distract from the band. Here, however, EVERYTHING distracts from the band, so it's up to the band to distract 'em back - which Jason Heath and Company did a fine job of. But not before a few others in the crowd got up in solidarity with the altered guy and danced along with him, seemingly to prove that merely dancing should not be stopped in Venice. Ever. For any reason.


The whole shindig is put on by St. John of local band, St. John & The Revelations, who also played the Venicestock stage ... though I had to head out after my favorite J. Heath jam, "Anarchist Girl", so I can't tell you much more about how the other bands got down. Other than that they did, and I could hear it all the way over at the house warming party I had to head to next. So YAY! (Especially when the proceeds are to benefit the admirable St. Joseph Center).

It's always a great day when you get sunshine and music together outside, and I hope the little Venicestock will continue to grow into its name for years to come.

My Freund, Tom - At The Stronghold.

I wrote about The Stronghold as a music venue back in April of this year for The Beachhead, and wondered how it would turn out. I've seen a fair share of growing pains (mega-disorganization one night when we had a visiting friend scheduled to play ... no bueno) and recent confusion about it all, so last night I just finally asked one of the owners, Michael Cassell, just what exactly the deal was ... what their vision for the place is, because it's a really great space, and I'd love to see it do well, especially because - selfishly - it's super close to my pad.

He said that they want it to be all about the music - not about getting hammered (though that could have a lot to do with the fact that they have no liquor license). He said, "People are paying for silence" - meaning that they want it to be a place where people sit and LISTEN to the music, and really appreciate it. Kind of like a McCabe's show. I HOPE that folks will want to pay a cover to just sit and listen to great music in the neighborhood - sans alcohol - but it remains to be seen. The bonus to that is that it can go really late-night, with no booze laws to deal with. And you can always smuggle it in red cups if you've got the shakes or something. Per the management.

So last night was the first time for the no alcohol deal, and it was Tom Freund Tuesday - he's got a residency for every Tuesday this November. I hope you already know him and his music, but if you don't - it's high time you did. I was at a Steve Earle show last month (with Tom Morello and Ben Harper to boot) and I was standing there talking to Tom Freund when this young guy came up and just fawned over him like those other legends weren't even there. "I can't believe I'm at this show and I just met my favorite singer-songwriter!", he rejoiced. It was darling, and so nice to hear, as Tom throws down with the very, VERY best of them.

The Stronghold (the music space is upstairs from the custom jeans part downstairs - you can hear the industrial sewing machine whirring long into the night) is really a lovely interior, all wood floors and big iron spiral staircase loft looking, with leather couches and chairs set up around the stage area. It's downright cozy ... and if it gets too much so, there's a gigantic back patio where you can go get fresh air or pollute it. Coffee and water are on offer, as well as a little selection of snacks. Total McCabe's. Or a Speakeasy.

I chatted with Tom a little bit backstage before the show, as though we've been homies for a long time, you don't often get the chance to dig deeper at shows and whatnot. He settled down in Venice because he's a New Yorker, and if you're moving to California, you'd better be near the ocean, is how he put it. I totally agree. He has a gorgeous wife, Francie, and a stunning little redheaded daughter called Delilah. They are part of a community of great hipster parents in Venice, which is one of the things he likes most about where we live ... people helping out and creating that nurturing vibe for everyone involved. The Ocean is a crucial part of life for the Freunds, as is the walk and bike-ability of how we get around in these parts. You'll see them hanging out all over town, but Tom said, "I'm an Abbot's guy by nature", meaning Abbot's Habit. That's about the people. If it's about the coffee, he'd take a cappuccino from The French Market, thanks. (Amen). It doesn't hurt that musicians of the highest caliber are friends and neighbors, especially when someone is as about the tunes as Tom is.

Amilia K. Spicer and Steve McCormick are a couple of those friends and neighbors, and opened for Tom last night, taking you to down home Kentucky (where she's from) through her beautiful voice and straightforward guitar playing. Steve is a great harmonizer, both with vocals and guitar, and you can tell they really enjoy playing together. I need to go hear her more. Tom joined them on his stand-up bass for her last song, "Harlan" about the town in Kentucky where she's from - or as she put it, "this is a song about my DNA." It was so lovely with the three of them creating a whiskey soaked visit down home on that stage, that Harlan is now on my list of places to check out.

Tom Tuesdays are the best, and you never know who is going to show up to join him. Last night he was backed up by Matt Pszonak (on lap steel and bass), wonderful percussionist/drummer, Chris Lovejoy, and Jason Yates on keyboards (Jason of The Innocent Criminals). Jason played a few songs of his own to get us further warmed up, and then Tom took the stage for the intimate crowd (that grew less so with each song ... people were still coming in when I left post-Tom!). Tom opened with a song that isn't on any of his albums, "Crow's Landing". Judging from the crowd's reaction, it will probably be on his next one. This night was "Set List Free", Tom said, so with hardly a glance at Lovejoy, they launched into Tom's oldie, but goodie, "Trondheim". I love that one, and not just because I'm Norwegian. And I love the next one, "Bombshell" - and not necessarily because I'm one of those, it's just really good.

Tom's latest album, "Collapsible Plans" is a treasure. Ben Harper produced it (available on his website), and Tom has opened for a bunch of Ben's tour shows. They're longtime friends (and were a college duo together) and their music compliments each other totally. The song, "Collapsible Plans" was next, and the two girls right near me knew every single word - though Tom sang it a lot better. "Unwind" features such fancy finger-work on Tom's guitar, you can't even see his hands, they're such a blur. Funky Wah-Wah sounds permeate the mix, and the hoots and hollers at song's end were well-deserved.

Ah, good old "Copper Road". Tom would have fit in great with the whole desert-rock Gram Parsons times, that's for sure. In fact, he played Parsons' "Hickory Wind", joined by Amilia K., and the country yearning is almost painfully pretty, filigreed with Tom's masterful mandolin work. "Queen Of The Desert" fit that genre as well, and the mandolin ... That mandolin. Sigh. The real show-stopper for the mandolin is Tom's song about his wife, "Francie". PLUGGED IN mandolin madness, that again makes one pause to wonder how human fingers can fly so fast. It's a classic in the Freund ouevre, for very good reason. I'm humming it now.
But then Tom would also fit in great in any smoky jazz bar across the globe. "Comfortable In Your Arms" features his stand-up bass played with a bow, which he glides masterfully. "I want lessons", was all I was thinking while listening to that thing. Glorious. That was followed up by the Beatles' "Come Together" and then I thought, "Exactly. That is really the whole point. Of music. Of love. Of Community." ... I snapped out of that revelation just in time to whistle for the ripper of a bass solo on that one. Geez Louise.

"Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard" is always a crowd-pleaser, with Jason Yates and Lovejoy leading the sing and clap-along. A word about Lovejoy: he just rules. He's so inventive with his little bag of percussion tricks, and such a joy to watch, with his crazy hair and big smile he gets from playing ... he's a real treat to yell and clap for.

"Why, Wyoming" took us back out on the road, with Amilia K. again lending her harmonic gifts. Because there is really no time limit as it stands now at The Stronghold, Tom could play as long as he felt like. Even on a Tuesday school night, that was fine by the entire room. "I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends" is always a good thing to remember and celebrate, and when the version is done all slowed down and fresh like Tom did it (joined by Shannon Moore), it's even better. Even BETTER when you get Stanley "The Baron" Behrens to join you, blowing on his harmonica like the bluesiest cat around. When Tom and I were talking pre-show, he said there are two great harmonica players on the planet - Taj Mahal and Stanley Behrens. Seriously. It was so great to see Stan play last night too, as he's been dealing with the dread liver cancer, and its horrid treatments. He's on the list to get a transplant soon, but you would know none of this by watching him play. The LIFE he breathes out through his harp is so powerful, you really do trust that this guy can handle anything that comes his way. Once again, the power of music to heal and elate was clearly evident. GO STANLEY!!!

"Digs" was groovy as ever, and had heads bobbing in unison around the room. "If you don't like the digs, you can find someplace else." Word. Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" was also given a jazzy treatment, and featured a drum jamboree between Lovejoy (I love that name) and Jason Yates on congas. "Stop, Hey, What's that sound?" ... that sound is fresh live music in our own backyard!!!
The last song of Tom's official set (I left, but heard it still going on up there as I went by later) was his excellent (said like Bill & Ted) "Truly Mellow". It takes you back to the time when you were that teen listening to music in the basement ... trying out new sounds, ideas, perhaps herbal remedies ... as you sorted out who you were going to become ... all the while feeling truly mellow. There's a good singalong part that is also easy, just "La-di-dah" repeated back to Tom. This crowd sounded good together too.

Once the applause died down, my crew and I said our goodbyes and ambled down the steps into the night, feeling mellow, feeling lucky, and feeling hopeful that The Stronghold will get it all streamlined and flowing. Live music so close to our homes is just about the best thing ever, so I'm rooting for them. There is a special feeling when you get people together to be just about the music, and in such close quarters. It all goes back to that music, love and community ... and the more opportunities for that, the better.

Tom Tuesdays - one more left in November. Don't be square.